Josh Rosales Speaks Out

Political Aspirations and Community Dedication with Chad Bobo - Candidate for Tennessee State Representative

• Season 1 • Episode 4

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Switching gears from insurance to the halls of government, Chad Bobo sits down with me, Josh Rosales, to share his heartfelt journey into the political landscape of Tennessee. We wade through his story, where family values and a commitment to community service shine as the cornerstones of his mission. As Chad opens up about the motivations that drove him to pursue the state representative seat in District 60, you'll feel the palpable passion he holds for strengthening the bonds within his community. His narrative isn't just about the shift from one career to another; it's a testament to an individual's dedication to public service, seasoned with years of political interest dating back to his youth.


Josh:

How's it going, everybody? And welcome to the Josh Rosales Speaks Out podcast. I'm your host, Josh Rosales, and I want to welcome Chad Bobo to the podcast. We're going to have a great time for all of you that are listening out there. We're going to be diving into some really cool conversation with Chad. Thanks so much for joining us. Glad to be here, Josh.

Josh:

Thank you for inviting me, hey, before we get in, I just want to thank our sponsor for our podcast, Roofman at Heyroofman. com. For all your roofing needs, from minor repairs to full roof ,, eyroofman,com has you covered. Call today for your free estimate at 615-945-1492. That's 615-945-1492. Once again, 615-945-1492, or go to Heyroofmancom. I want to thank Mark Flores for all his support. Definitely one of the premier roofing companies in Middle Tennessee and with all that taken care of, we're going to hop into the podcast Chad. Thank you again for joining on the Josh Rosales Speaks Out podcast.

Josh:

I met you a few years ago and I was actually talking to Jabri about this and we met. I think our first time meeting was that First Watch. Oh, was it? Yeah, I think so. It was first watch. You were campaigning for the governor, okay, and we met there at first watch and you were telling me about selling insurance, medical insurance, and we were talking about that and it was a really good breakfast there and then we just continued to connect and here we are. You know it's probably been what two years. It's been at least two years.

Chad:

I remember that. Yes, it was the First Watch.

Josh:

Yeah, yes, it was at First Watch, still involved in politics, and then now you're running for state rep, Ddistrict 60, which encompasses let me get this right Old Hickory, Hermitage and Donelson.

Josh:

You are correct. So you're married, you have children, you have a beautiful grandbaby and just from knowing you, I know that family is your passion, Helping people is your passion, and some people get into politics or get into different things and it's all about self-service, what they can get for themselves. And just the years that I've known you, my wife and I, Frances, we've known you very selfless and you're all about how can I connect others and how can I be a servant and how can I help you and not help myself. And I really know that, with you running for state rep, that you're running for the right reasons, that your intention is true, that your motives are pure and I'm really excited to be supporting you and campaigning with you. But if you could introduce yourself to those that are listening and tell us a little bit about yourself and what took you from selling insurance because you're really good at that hooked on politics how did that all come to fruition?

Chad:

Josh. Well, first of all, thank you for the introduction. That was very encapsulating of our past couple years and it was great meeting you there at that first watch and just the connections that we've made since then. I don't think we can continue to do what we do unless we continue to connect people and be of service to others. So that's just a part of, I think, building a community, and I think we're building a very, very big community, not just here in District 60, but that connects with other areas of Tennessee as well.

Chad:

The thing that got me into politics I think I've always been involved in politics. I can remember back at least to maybe the fifth grade. One of my favorite things to do during the fall and winter was watch the news. So when the 5:30 News came on, I was watching whether it was Tom Brokaw or one of the other anchors at that time, and have been involved in politics ever since then. I got my degree in public administration when I was in college and thankfully, by the grace of God, I was able to kind of flourish and have my own ideas as to what I thought was the best direction of America, and I think I've chosen right to meet a beautiful young nursing student who became my wife and the mother of my two children, and this coming December we will have been married 30 years. I never get the day right, but don't tell her.

Josh:

No, so with all of that, how long have you been in?

Chad:

Tennessee. How long have you been in Tennessee? Well, I've been in Tennessee since 2015. We moved to Tennessee from Indiana. We lived there for about five years. My background was warehouse management and so I worked in warehouses in the Mid-South you know the Memphis area, Shelby, N orth Mississippi. and made a lot of connections that way, and one of the guys got promoted to a senior level position and wanted to bring me with him. So I went to Indiana as a warehouse manager and enjoyed my time there, got an opportunity to start working with the county party and worked a little bit with the state party as well, and met some really great people.

Chad:

The only thing, man, really well, it was two things, but one in particular. One of the reasons why we wanted to move back south was it was freezing. When it snowed, it snowed again, and there is a possibility that it was going to snow on top of that. So after so many fall and winters of that, we were just ready to come back to the south and we knew that Nashville was a booming place and we wanted to be a part of that, and so we moved here and have been trying to grow in our community efforts and watching our family grow as well. It's been a wonderful about 10 years now.

Josh:

So my question is when did the political bug bite you in the sense of you saying I'm going to run for state rep? When did the political bug bite you to where you really started getting more involved in politics?

Chad:

Well, I think when you're used to knocking doors all over the Mid-South and up North as well, for various candidates and you're helping planning campaigns and things of that nature, there's always a little bug in the back of your mind saying at some point in time you'll probably either be asked to do it or the opportunity is going to fall on your lap. But then you know you'll do it so, and in this case, the current state representative for this area decided to retire and go into another field, which you know that's his prerogative to do so. But it opens up an opportunity here in this area for another state representative, and so I was asked to run it. At first I was like I don't think that'll be the best thing for me, but some things worked out to where we were able to do that and we got all of our paperwork in. We have a really good team that we're working with and we're excited about the opportunity of keeping the majority here in Tennessee.

Josh:

So why do you want to run?

Chad:

I want to run because I want to be a part of something great. This community is a wonderful community and I want to make sure that it not just continues, but continues to strive forward as it relates to having just really good common sense legislation that helps them keep the roads clean and paved, adding jobs to this area, making sure that it is as safe as we can make it on the state level, and knowing that there are people here that I've never met but I hope to get a chance to meet them and, if that opportunity shows itself, to where I can be of service to them. It's a great thing to be able to help people when they don't have anyone else to go to.

Josh:

What do you think of everything that is going on right now? You know, I know, that Tennessee is a really cool state to live in. A lot of people are moving here. They're saying what a thousand people a day, or something like that.

Josh:

It's a very big number yeah, and you know, middle tennessee is a great place to live. You know, sometimes we talk about the housing crisis and about inflation, but the one thing I really like about middle tennessee is that Middle Tennessee has a lot of major industries. I mean, it has tech, it has medical, it has manufacturing, they have Nissan and it's a really cool place that has a lot of major industries here. So it's like in finance. I mean banking I heard that there's more banks in Nashville than anywhere in the United States and cranes, because there's so much building, you know.

Chad:

Yes.

Josh:

So what are the top two or three things that come to your mind when people talk about? What are the two or three positive things when it comes to that?

Chad:

Well, everybody enjoys the tourism of Nashville. You know, if you come here, there's so much for you to do. But also, if you live here and you want to have relatives and friends come into town, you don't necessarily have to sit out on the back deck. You can actually go and enjoy a soccer game, or you can enjoy a hockey game, football there's a lot to do here. And if you want to learn how to line dance, there's places downtown that'll teach you how to do that as well. So, yeah, it's fun here.

Chad:

But also one of the things that excited us about moving here, and maybe others as well, is that there's as you said, there's so many industries, so if you want a job, you can probably find one. My concern is that here in this area, which is on the outskirts of Davidson County, we don't have as much industry here, so people have to travel either closer to downtown or in other communities within Davidson County to have a good job. So we're trying to bring more of that industry to this area and I'm hoping we'll be able to do that.

Josh:

Exactly. I mean that kind of went into my next question what are the top two or three items that you feel really need to be addressed there in your area? And I would say, like here in Murfreesboro, it's growing. Every day people are moving here to Murfreesboro, rutherford County, but the jobs are just not here. You know, people are traveling to Nashville because the jobs are there and it's like how do we get more tech jobs here? How do we get more industries here? I mean, we got over 300, probably 300,000 people living here in Rutherford County or in Murfreesboro, but how do we get more jobs here?

Josh:

Education and schools are busting at the seams and we're getting more students by the day that are coming in. Our schools just can't fit all these students and it's just like how do we keep Tennessee values? Because I don't want Tennessee to be like California or New York or Michigan or some of these other states. There's a reason why people are coming to Tennessee and it's because it's the south. It's a conservative state. There's not a lot of rules and regulations. Some people are moving from one state that has so many rules and regulations and coming to Nashville or Tennessee it's kind of like, wow, I didn't know this existed, and so with District 60, your number one is jobs. Right, bringing in jobs, yeah, I would say that's probably one of my major focuses.

Chad:

State legislator is to make sure that the legislation that you're writing is less intrusive as possible and that you are allowing your community to flourish, and so one of the main ways that you help that happen is make sure that you have good roads, and so you got the airport in your district. No, that's right outside of my district actually.

Chad:

I wish it was, but no, it's right outside of my district. But, you know, making sure that we have good roads and there are some areas over here where it's ripe for growth, but the roads are going to have a part of the Transportation Committee also on the Commerce Committee as well, to help usher in the rec legislation that allows companies to come in. You know there's always that balance that people who are in leadership positions have to be aware of and you know there's a good and bad side to growth and I think that in most cases the good can outweigh the bad. You just have to manage it and make sure that you support the police, whether it be the local police or the state police, and make sure that law and order is the key part of that growth, because if not, you know it can easily get out of hand, and it doesn't have to get out of hand, but sometimes it does.

Josh:

Let me ask you this. I'm going to throw a curveball at you. What are the differences between Old Hickory, Hermitage and Donelson?

Chad:

Wow, that's a great question and I think if you were to go to the different areas you could see, because they're different. They are very different. They are different, but you can still see a little in all of them. I'll just start with Old Hickory, which that's more of the what Old Memphis excuse me, old Nashville would be. Yeah, that's true. Some of the little towns or communities over there have changed names and people have lived there and have never moved from there.

Josh:

You know what's so funny? I got a ticket years ago going through Old Hickory and the court was in a community center and it was like one of those folding tables that they put up and a guy was just sitting behind a folding table and they had court there. Man, I felt like I was back in the Dukes of Hazzard days, like looking for Uncle Jesse, and, wow, this is insane.

Chad:

I'm not saying that Uncle Jesse wasn't there, but you know Old Hickory and it is a blast from the past. But there are some of the best people in Davidson County living there and I've had an opportunity to meet and sit down and enjoy their company company. And I would say here in Hermitage you have more of the people who have moved in to raise families, be a part of the school system, but they're still close enough to their jobs downtown to where it's not that big of a stretch to get back and forward. Also, part of the Hermmitage is in Hermitage and a big part of that is in Old Hickory. We live off of the street called Andrew Jackson and so there's just a lot of history here in Hermitage as well. A lot of ways I see Donelson as closer to downtown and so you have a lot of hipsters. They have really cool restaurants over there, really good nightlife there I was thinking each community has its own identity.

Chad:

Yes, it does, and the thing is that we're all interconnected. So there's rarely a weekend that I don't go to Donelson and Hermitage and Old Hickory. Now I mean, I go to all parts of it, but I'll touch one or the other. So we're all interconnected over here and a lot of us have jobs that are connected to other parts of not just Nashville, but you know the surrounding counties as well, because we are on the outskirts of Davidson County.

Josh:

So how's your campaign going?

Chad:

It's going well. Thank you for asking, by the way, and if you'd like to donate, you can go to wwwchadbogocom and donate and you can sign up to help knock doors or just go and read more about me and my story. The campaign is going well. I'm meeting new people every day who are excited that there is a candidate in their neighborhood who gets around and walks and has conversations with them on a regular basis, and that won't change because I still need to walk normally. I haven't gone today yet because I'm talking to you right now. My neighbor just texted me and asked was I going to go walking with him today?

Chad:

And I said I can go a little later, but I'm getting ready to go on a podcast with Josh.

Josh:

You know Chad, there's not a lot of people that are just true, sincere, and I said on the beginning of the podcast but we need not politicians, but we need good people to represent our areas, that will stop, talk to you, that will fight, advocate. You know just the couple of years that Francis and I have known you. Of course you know Francis is on the school board and you've just been open to us and to others that have questions that maybe need something, especially working in the speaker's office, like you're very open and very approach, approachable, and I'm sure that a lot of people see that in your area as well. And you know, I know francis and I are going to be campaigning for you and knocking doors and we're really excited about it.

Josh:

And the other thing, too, is that, whether it's on either side of the aisles, we need more minorities represented in politics, from from local on up to federal, and not that we have minorities in there just to have them for a percentage. Oh, we need, you know, 30 more minorities in here, but no, we need good candidates, good individuals that have good heads on their shoulders, that are qualified, that have or maybe it's just life experience, Like they get in there and they know what they're talking about and they want to advocate and make change. And I know being a state rep and being in the house sometimes it can be a challenge to make change happen because there's so much going on. But being in there day after day advocating and people in District 6 are going to be amazing to have you, so people listening can go to ChadBobocom to sign up to help knock doors for donations. When's your next event coming up?

Chad:

Well, we have an event coming up in May, the 16th, and it is a fundraiser and we're narrowing down who we'd like to come and speak there as well, but we're using that particular fundraiser to help kick off the campaign in the latter part of May. Kick off the campaign in the latter part of May and also in June. That's when we'll start getting out and knocking doors and getting to know more people and letting people know about what we're doing and what we're about and how we are not, as Ronald Reagan would say, hi, I'm the government. We're here to help, but there is a function for government in their lane and we want to stay in our lane as much as possible and not try to veer off and, you know, get into people's personal life.

Chad:

This is government, state government. We just want to make sure that you're able to you're able to pursue your happiness and not be stymied by higher taxes or just, you know, permits and bills and things that keep people out of business. We don't want to have anything to do with that. We want people to be as well off as we possibly can and be able to raise their children in areas that are safe as possible, and when those kids grow up, we'd like to have a job here waiting for them if they decide to stay.

Josh:

And being able to afford a house.

Chad:

Yes. So you know, when I was mentioning earlier about the jobs, I'm not trying to get more fast food here Although there are some jobs within the fast food area that you can take care of a family but I'm looking more toward manufacturing, distribution, those types of jobs where people can, over several years, retire there if they like. Getting more of those out here? .

Josh:

I want to mention our sponsor, Heyroofmancom. For all your roofing needs, from minor repairs to full roof replacements, Heyroofman. com has you covered. Call today for your free estimate at 615-945-1492. That's 615-945-1492. Or go to Heyroofman. com. You know, chad, I know running for public office is a lot of sacrifice, a lot of blood, sweat, tears, a lot of having to give up your weekends, especially knocking doors, and you have to. You know you're doing that till general election, till, you know, was it November, november 5th? How has your spouse come alongside of you? I know she's a huge supporter, but it's not just hard on the candidate, it's a challenge for the entire family, you know, because it's not just you running, your wife's running too.

Chad:

You know what. No one would know that more than what you and Frances have been able to accomplish, and I like to say that you all are a model for people who are getting into politics how you support each other, and I know that she certainly appreciated you being out there with her knocking doors and going to different functions and things of that nature. I'd say that Jennifer is a wonderful supporter of me and the idea of me running she's been great with that has gone to many of the functions that I've asked her to go to and, by the way, she still has a full time job and does that as well. Go to and, by the way, she still has a full-time job and does that as well. I'm the one who had to leave the speaker's office because I couldn't work for the state and run for office as well, so she is a wonderful help to me and I'm thankful that this is going to be our 30th year and it's been a great year already.

Josh:

That is awesome, really quick. I know we're kind of backpedaling, but you were working for Speaker Sexton. Yes, Cameron Sexton, Cameron Sexton. What was it like working for the Speaker, just being in that office, being in that environment, doing what you were doing what was it like? It seems like it'd be pretty cool.

Chad:

Well, it was cool. I enjoy going to work every day. You know it was like who am I going to get to help today? Or you know, in some cases there are people that but maybe I could point them in the direction to help them in that way.

Chad:

It was great getting a backstage pass, I should say, to how things work in the in the legislature, and I just want to say that you know, there is a lot that comes out in the news and only maybe sometimes half of it is right, but the media was slanted a certain way and it's like that's not what either the legislation is about or a lot of times it's a mischaracterization of what he says and so we just kind of look at that like it didn't work that way, but that's just how it comes out in the media. So to have an opportunity to stand back and just watch that and know that a lot of the stuff that you hear in the news today, it does have a slant to it. Even when they have interviews with him, they'll take a snippet of the interview and make a whole different thing out of what you know the overall vision was and that was interesting to see. So that's something.

Josh:

I'll probably have to be careful about myself. Yeah, yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy how the media works. Well, for those that are listening, again, I'm talking with Chad Bobo. Chad Bobo is running for state rep District 60, which encompasses Old Hickory, Hermitage and Donelson. Each area has their own characteristics. Chad, like I said, is running for District 60. You can go to chad ChadBobo. com to either donate financially or to donate your time knocking doors and just getting involved in his campaign. Chad building your campaign right now. Those that have gathered around what are those individuals like?

Chad:

Oh wow. Everyone that I work with has a specific role, and so it's all to help get me over the finish line and to make me look and sound as best they can. I can't put that all on everyone else, but I've got a pretty good group of people around me and they are experts in what they do.

Josh:

That's good. A couple of last questions. What's your favorite hobby?

Chad:

My favorite hobby? Yeah, my favorite hobby is fishing. Yeah, my favorite hobby is fishing. Fishing, yes. Where do you like to fish? I like to fish with my dad and my brothers. I normally go back to North Mississippi and fish with them. That's where I spend a lot of my off time. You're just getting a chance to hang out with my dad and hoping this summer that my son can come and go fishing with us. So anyway, yeah, fishing is my favorite hobby. I would say my second favorite hobby is hunting. But you know, someone who's involved in warehousing knows that if you're in warehousing, the hunting season is your peak season. So you have to when you can, and this past year I didn't get a chance to go, so I feel kind of bad about that.

Josh:

For those of you listening again, we're talking with Chad Bobo. He's running for District 60 in Davidson County. You can go to ChadBobo. com to donate financially or also sign up to help volunteer. For those that are going to sign up and volunteer and be on the team, what can they expect?

Chad:

Well, they can expect those people who are going to sign up and help out. It'll mostly be on the weekends, so whether that's Friday, Saturday and Sunday or Saturday and Sunday, or just pick however many days that you can help out, and we'll go out as teams and we'll contact an area and I'll try to keep it as simple as possible for those who are helping me so they don't have to answer any in-depth questions Because I'll be somewhere in there around. I know that the people probably want to hear my answer on that, so I will be a busy person, but it does help to have a lot of people out just to make sure that everyone at least gets a handout or a door hanger or something of that nature and knows that our first election is going to be August 1st and then after that our general is going to be November, the 5th.

Josh:

Well, Chad, thank you so much for joining me. I really appreciate it. Your friendship, you know, is priceless and I'm really excited. You know, Frances and I are going to be campaigning with you and others are going to be campaigning with you, and I'm really excited for the journey ahead and looking forward to victory, through a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears and consistency and just working together to make Nashville, County Tennessee, the best place that people want to continue to come and live. And that's what I'm trying to do. Yep, yep For those that are listening, you can go to.

Josh:

You can go to ChadBobo. com, donate financially or also sign up to volunteer. Chad said he's going to try to make it as easy as possible, but when you're campaigning, it's hard work, it's a lot of sacrifice to be prepared. He's going to try to make it as easy as possible, but when you're campaigning, it's hard work, it's a lot of sacrifice to be prepared. But this is also a great time for families to get out there together husband and wives, husband and wives, and teenagers, especially for our young people. There's two areas I feel that are missing it's minorities and young people that engage in the political process and for young people that are graduating high school that are looking to accept the Tennessee promise. You got to have eight hours of volunteer time and you know what counts for volunteer time is campaigning, and so for high schoolers that don't want to get involved in the process. But this is a great time for families just to get out and knock doors and get some exercise, talk to people and really make a difference.

Chad:

Knock doors and get some exercise, talk to people and really make a difference. That is a great idea and a great suggestion to add because, like I said, I don't think you can have enough door knockers during the campaign season. This is a really large area to work in. There are so many different communities here, so we are excited about getting out there and getting it done.

Josh:

What's one thing you want to leave everybody with.

Chad:

Well, I want to leave everybody with that. This is an opportunity. This particular campaign is an opportunity for conservatives to have a foothold in Davidson County. Davidson County, there's a lot that a state representative can go and speak to the mayor about, and the mayor can come and speak to the state rep about and form even a stronger relationship with the state. So you know, I plan on working on both sides of the aisle to get people some things that they need. And the last thing I want to leave with is that you and Francis are great friends of mine. I appreciate your willingness to help make all this area better. I am kind of a blessing to know both of you and the feeling is mutual.

Josh:

Uh, for us well. And so, for those that are listening, go to chadbobocom to sign up, to give financially, also to sign up to volunteer. Chad's going to need people to help put up signs, door knocks, you know you name it. He's going to need a lot of help and so thank you so much, Chad, for coming on the Josh Rosales Speaks Out podcast. And again, you know I want to give a lot of help, and so thank you so much, chad, for coming on the Josh Rosales Speaks Out podcast. And again, you know, I want to give a shout out to our sponsor, Heyroof man. For all your roofing needs, from minor repairs to full roof replacements, Heyroofman. com has you covered. Call today for a free estimate at 615-945-1492. That's 615-945-1492. Or go to Heyroofman. com. Thanks again, Chad, for coming on. It was a pleasure talking to you and I cannot wait to get out there on the campaign trail. The campaign got to bobo up, let's go.

Chad:

Appreciate you next time.

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